1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games and more particularly to games used for gambling.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many wagering games used for gambling. Such games should be exciting to arouse players' interest and uncomplicated so that they can be understood easily by a large number of players. Ideally, the games should include multiple opportunities for player skill during the course of the game, yet be able to be played rapidly to wager-resolving outcomes. Exciting play also provides the player with frequent small pay-outs and the opportunity for large jackpot wins.
Wagering games, particularly those intended primarily for play in casinos, should provide players with a sense of participation and control, and the opportunity to make decisions. They should also provide reasonable odds of winning even though odds favor the house, i.e., the gambler's expected return for each unit of currency gambled is less than 1 unit. A casino will never act as a bank for a game in which the average player has the advantage over the house. The game must also meet the requirements of regulatory agencies.
Many casino games use a standard deck of cards. A standard deck of playing cards contains a 4.times.13 set of symbols, that is four card suit values (spade, heart, diamond, club) by 13 card rank values (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A). The standard deck represents a complete set of multi-dimensional symbols, that is, all 52 possible symbol combinations of the suits and ranks are represented. Some popular casino games that use a standard deck of playing cards or a video representation of a standard deck of playing cards are Blackjack, Baccarat, CARIBBEAN STUD POKER.RTM., LET IT RIDE.RTM. and Video Poker. In each of these games, cards are drawn from one or multiple decks of cards without replacement. If the six of hearts is the first card drawn, it is less likely that the following card will also be a six of hearts.
Many other casino games use multiple six-sided dice to determine pay outs. When multiple dice are rolled, the outcome of each die is independent of the other dice. As a result, symbols selected by rolling dice are chosen with replacement. The set of symbols used by standard dice, however, has only one dimension--the set of numbers one to six. Some popular casino games that use dice are Craps and Sic-Bo.
The Roulette Wheel is another device used to generate symbols in a casino environment. Each time a symbol is selected from a roulette wheel it is selected from the entire set of symbols. As a result each spin of the roulette wheel is said in probability terms to be independent of all other spins, and symbols are chosen with replacement. Although each symbol from a roulette wheel is marked by two attributes (values), a color and a number, it is not a complete set of multi-dimensional symbols. It is possible to select a red three, but it is impossible to select a black three.
Many different types of slot machines exist that use many different sets of symbols. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,111 discloses a slot machine in which each symbol is selected by rotating a set of two independent wheels--an inner wheel rotating within an outer wheel. The outer wheel displays card suits, the inner wheel displays rank values from 2 to 10 and "J", "Q", "K", and "A". A complete symbol is formed by combining the randomly selected symbol from both wheels, e.g. Jack of Clubs. Multiple sets of inner and outer wheels provide a full hand of symbols each play. This game, however, does not teach that each set of independent wheels represents a complete set of symbols, or that each symbol is chosen with replacement.
Another game device that allows players another set of symbols is TIBBITs brand dice disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,145,175 and 5,224,708 (both owned by TIBBITs International, Inc.). These patents disclose 12-sided dice with a 4.times.3 matrix (e.g., four card suits by three card values) and twenty-sided dice with 4.times.5 matrix (e.g., four card suits by five card values). However, there are no games using these dice which give the house a positive expectation and which are suitable for casino gambling.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide wagering games having integrity of chance and total randomness.
Another object is to provide a method of play where the house can control the expectation of winning over the long term.
A further object of the invention is to provide a game where the pay-out values can be changed to alter the expectation of the house.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of game playing that is easily adapted to physical or electronic video play.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the methods and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.